What is an Apple ID?

An Apple ID is the account you use for just about everything you do with Apple, including buying songs from the iTunes Store, downloading apps from the App Store, and using iCloud with your Device. You can access all Apple services with a single Apple ID. Your Apple ID can also be associated with this Device to provide you with better service and support.

If you have purchased items from the iTunes Store or App Store, use that Apple ID when signing in. This will give you access to all your past purchases on this Device.

iCloud and Privacy

When iCloud is enabled, your data such as iCloud email, contacts, calendars, reminders, bookmarks, notes, photos, documents and data, device and account settings, and certain third party app data will be automatically sent to and stored by Apple. This allows you to later access this data or have it wirelessly pushed to your other iCloud-enabled devices or computers (“Devices”). Your Device’s serial number and other hardware identifiers will also be sent to and retained by Apple when you sign up for iCloud for service and support purposes. If you enable Location Services and use any of the Find My iPhone, Find My Mac, Find My Watch, Find My Friends or Share My Location features, your location information will also be sent to Apple so that Apple can show the location of your Device on a map or share it with whom you choose. Your contacts, calendars, reminders, bookmarks, photos, documents, and backup data are sent and stored on Apple’s, its subsidiaries’, or third party partners’ servers, and are used to enable iCloud services on your Devices. Apple also collects aggregate usage information in a format that does not personally identify you to help improve Apple products and services.

If you use iCloud to store your content – which may include photos, videos, documents, notes, iBooks, contacts, calendars, etc – your content will be automatically pushed to and updated on all iCloud-enabled Devices.

If iCloud Backup is enabled on your iOS device, it will wirelessly back up content from your device to iCloud. If you replace your iOS device, you can restore your content currently backed up to iCloud. iCloud Backup may include your device settings, device characteristics, photos, videos, messages (iMessage, SMS, and MMS), ringtones, app data (including Health app data), location settings (such as location-based reminders that you have set up), Home screen organization, Visual Voicemail, and other data from your iOS device depending on your Settings. You can also manually initiate a backup at any time over Wi-Fi by going to Settings, tapping iCloud, tapping Backup, and tapping the Back Up Now button. Your backup data is encrypted when sent over the Internet and stored in an encrypted format on Apple’s, its subsidiaries, or third party partners’ servers. You can stop iCloud from backing up your app data for a particular app, by going to Settings, tapping iCloud, tapping Storage, tapping Manage Storage, selecting the iOS device you’re on under the Backups section, and turning the switch off for the app(s) for which you’d like to disable backup.

When iCloud Backup is enabled, your iOS device will not automatically back up to iTunes during a sync but you can choose to manually initiate a back up to iTunes. If you wish to turn off iCloud Backup, go to Settings, tap iCloud, tap Backup, and turn off the iCloud Backup switch. If you have turned off iCloud Backup, you may then sync to iTunes in order to back up your iOS device to your computer.

If iTunes Match is available in your region and you use iTunes Match, iCloud will collect information about media in your iTunes library, and either match media to songs currently available in the iTunes Store or upload songs that cannot be matched, after which those songs can be accessed by your eligible devices.

If you use iCloud to share files either publicly or privately in Notes, iWork, and certain third-party Apps using iCloud sharing functionality, Apple will store and have access to the name of the shared file. Your first and last name associated with your iCloud account and the file name will be available to anyone who has access to the sharing link regardless of whether your share is private or public. The identities of private share participants will not be made available to anyone that has not been invited to and accepted the private share.

Some apps use iCloud to store data and content you provide to the app. The app may choose to store some or all of your data in your personal iCloud account. If so, such data will count towards your personal iCloud storage and the app will not be able to access this data except to display the data to you or modify it when you use the app.

If you wish to stop using iCloud on your iOS device and any paired Apple Watch, you may sign out from your iCloud account by going to Settings tapping iCloud, and tapping the Sign Out button. To stop using iCloud on your Mac, go to the iCloud pane within System Preferences and Sign Out of iCloud.

For more information about Find My iPhone, please refer to the “About Find My iPhone & Privacy” link found in iCloud Settings. For information about Family Sharing, please see the Learn More link to “A Guide to Family Sharing” found under Family in iCloud Settings.

At all times, information received by Apple will be treated in accordance with Apple’s Privacy Policy, which can be found at www.apple.com/privacy.